The Chasam Sofer zt'l teaches that the Purim miracle happened because of silence. The Gemara (Megillah 13:) says, לישנא דידע ליכא כהמן בישא "No one knows how to speak lashon hara like Haman." He spoke lashon hara on the Jewish nation to Achashverosh, claiming that they weren't loyal subjects. And he said that they aren't dedicated to Hashem, either. Haman said, "Perhaps you will claim that you earn profits from them? They are (Esther 3) העמים בין מפורד, like a פרידה, mule, that doesn’t bear children... עם מכל שונות ודתיהם. They don’t eat our food; they don’t marry our daughters, and they don’t give their daughters to us for marriage. עושים אינם המלך דתי ואת, they don’t work for the king, as they are always claiming “today is Pesach,” “today is Shabbos” [and they say that they can't work]. They eat and drink and disgrace the king. If a fly falls into a cup of wine of one of them, they take out the fly and drink the wine. But if my master, the king, touches one of their cups, they pour it out on the ground, and they won’t drink it. להניחם שוה אין ולמלך, "The king has no reason to let them live."
The Chasam Sofer explains that we were saved by Mordechai and Esther because they had the trait of silence, which served to annul Haman's lashon hara. As the megillah states (Esther 2:10) מולדתה ואת עמה את אסתר הגידה לא תגיד לא אשר עליה צוה מרדכי כי, "Esther didn’t reveal her nation or her birthplace because Mordechai told her not to tell." The merit of their silence overcame Haman's lashon hara, and we were saved.
The virtue of silence is hinted at in this week’s parashah with the kohen gadol's me’il. The Gemara (Zevachim 88:) asks, "Why does the Torah juxtapose the korbanos with the special clothes of the kohen gadol? To teach you that just as the korbanos atone, so do the clothes of the kohen gadol atone. The כתונת, tunic, atones for murder (see Bereishis 37:31). The מכנסים, pants, atones for adultery (see Shmos 28:42). The מצנפת, turban, atones for arrogance. Why? Let something that’s worn high on the head atone for someone who feels high. The אבנט, belt, atones for the heart's bad thoughts because the אבנט was [wrapped upon the kohen gadol’s] heart. The חשן, breastplate, atones for [the courts'] errors in judgment, as it states (28:15) משפט חשן ועשית. The אפוד atones for avodah zarah... The מעיל, robe, atones for lashon hara. Why? Let a garment that makes sounds (the מעיל had bells along its hem) atone for lashon hara. The ציץ (the gold band worn on the kohen gadol's forehead) atones for chutzpah..."
Thus, the me’il atoned for lashon hara. The bells sewn along its hem atoned for the sounds of lashon hara.
The bottom of the me’il was decorated with gold bells and wool pomegranates, as it states (28:34) שולי על ורמון זהב פעמן ורמון זהב פעמן סביב המעיל, "A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell, and a pomegranate, on the bottom hem of the robe, all around."
The Rambam (Kli HaMikdash 9:3-4) writes, "The me'il was made entirely from techeles... Bring wool...make them appear like pomegranates...and hang them on the me'il's [hem]. Bring seventy-two bells...so that on the hems of the me'il will hang a bell, a pomegranate, a bell, a pomegranate." When one looked at the hem, he saw a pomegranate, a bell, a pomegranate, a bell. If one would say that every pomegranate was surrounded by two bells, it would be true. But at the same time, one can say that each bell was surrounded by two pomegranates.
The Alshich HaKadosh asks, why does the Torah (Shemos 28:33) write בתוכם זהב ופעמני, that the gold bells were in the middle? It could have just as well stated that the pomegranates were in the middle. The Alshich answers, "This pasuk is mussar from our Father in heaven, teaching us that nothing is better than silence. The bells that have a tongue clanging in them signify a tongue that bangs within one's mouth... It’s a mashal, hinting at speech. The pomegranates... are hollow, with closed mouths, that don’t make any sound. They allude to silence. Hashem teaches us that we should not consider it as though the pomegranates are between the bells, [which would imply] one sign of silence between two signs of speech. Rather, [one should view it] as though the bell was between the pomegranates, which means to be silent twice and speak only once. One should be silent double the amount he speaks. After keeping quiet and not saying two things, say one thing, just as there’s a bell between two pomegranates.
"For this reason, Hashem gave a person one mouth and two eyes, to teach the person that he should speak only half of what he sees with his eyes. This will be his סייג, prevention, [from speaking forbidden talk]..."
This is also implied by Chazal (Megillah 18.) בתרין משתוקא בסלע מלה, "A word for a sela, and silence for two." This indicates that for every word spoken, be silent twice.
